Exclusive: New co-working space to open in The Woodlands

Exclusive: New co-working space to open in The Woodlands

The Work Lodge, a co-working space in Vintage Park well-known for its slide in the lobby, is opening a second location, this time in The Woodlands.

The new space will be called The Work Lodge at Havenwood and is expected to open in early 2017, said CEO and founder Mike Thakur. It will be located in the new Havenwood development from J. Beard Real Estate Co., which is wrapping up construction.

While there won’t be any slide in this location, Thakur expects to still jazz it up.

“We’re going to put in some fun stuff,” Thakur told the HBJ. “I don’t know if I’m ready to shout about it yet, but it will have that playful feel in the co-working space.”

Mike Thakur, CEO and founder of The Work Lodge, a co-working space in Vintage Park. On Oct. 31, The Work Lodge announced it will expand to a new location in The Woodlands.

The Work Lodge at Havenwood is at 25700 Interstate 45 North in The Woodlands. It’s located a short drive away from The Woodlands Waterway district. Once completed, it will be more than 20,000 square feet and is being designed to host around 225 members at full capacity. That’s compared to The Work Lodge’s first location in Vintage Park, which can host 250 at full capacity. The decrease in space is tied more to a new feature, dubbed “The Work Lodge Black,” rather than space restraints.

“It’s like an American Express Black for that premium, executive-level person,” Thakur said, adding that the Work Lodge Black area will feature more high-end finishes and other perks — at a higher price point — for members who want something a little extra.

Additionally, The Work Lodge has right of first refusal on an additional 10,000 square feet in the building if it needs to expand further. The space is being designed by Powers Brown Architecture and the broker on the deal was Aaron Howes of Savills Studley, Thakur added. A contractor has not been disclosed.

The Work Lodge opened its first location in June 2015. At the time, Thakur said he planned to have four more locations in the surrounding suburbs by 2018. In addition to The Woodlands, Thakur previously said he’s also eying Katy and Sugar Land as potential locations.

The Woodlands’ Class A office market has an overall total vacancy of 12.8 percent, up from 11.5 percent last quarter, according to Colliers International’s third-quarter report.

When it comes to sublease space, The Woodlands only has 321,000 square feet on the market, according to Transwestern, which is pretty low when compared to the millions of square feet of sublease space plaguing Houston’s Central Business District and Energy Corridor.